Miss Em

The high school sewing class finished the year with a final get together and sewing day on Friday. It was a nice day with time spent finishing off projects, but it was also great to have a last catch up, before the class breaks for the school holidays.
Miss Em, did however manage to make a pattern for a hooded cape, cut it out of polyester fleece and stitch it together before she left for the day. You could say she had a very productive few hours.

The hood on the cape extends into a long scarf and was finished with a toggle closure at the neckline and trimmed with zig zag stitching, which is also on the pockets.

The pattern was in an issue of 'Mollie Makes' and originally was to be made using a blanket, but Emily adapted the pattern instructions to suit a length of polyester fleece. Well done Em! You really did work hard to whip that cape up in a few hours.

A few weeks ago, Emily also completed a boned bodice made out of a cotton/spandex stretch woven fabric, from Pitt Trading at Ramsgate. This is a lovely, summery top which is more appropriate for our normal December weather, but unfortunately with temperatures at the moment, not even reaching 20 degrees on some days, Emily may have more use of a cape than this cute little top.

The bra cups were trimmed with a lovely cotton lace and on the back closure she has used a hook and eye tape. The pattern is one of mine and available to use in class.

Have a nice break girls and see you in February!

Young Talent

One of the best things about teaching people to sew is that I get the opportunity to meet some wonderful and very talented people. Tess, who came to the studio a few months ago for tuition, is one of these special people and she is as hard working, as she is talented.
Tess contacted me as she wanted a few private lessons to assist her with the pattern drafting and construction of a garment to enter in the 'Casual Wear' catergory of the 'Apex Australian Teenage Fashion Awards' - also known as AATFA. Anyway, after meeting Tess and having a little chat, I remembered seeing her last year in Newcastle at the 2010 NSW State Finals of the AATFA, where she had won the 'Wearable Art' catergory and I had been very impressed with her winning design. She then went on to take out the national award in the same catergory.
This year for the 2011 Awards Tess was entering garments in two catergories 'Casual Wear' and 'Wearable Art'. Unlike the Wearable Art catergory, the Casual Wear section is also marked on sewing technique, therefore the sewing and construction of the garment need to be well executed. Tess tells me there is a lot of hot glue gunning done in wearable art, as the sewing and construction is not marked, only the design.

Here is the photo of Tess's design for the 2011 AATFA Casual Wear catergory.

Tess has very kindly written this dscription of her garment and the design and construction process.

Earlier this year, I approached Kerrie to assist me with my entry in the Apex Teenage Fashion Awards Casual Wear category. My aim was to create a complex velvet dress designed by the Japanese designer, Tomoko Nakamichi.

Kerrie helped me night after night for a week or so struggling to complete the complex japanese pattern.

This Kakurenbo design translated as 'hide and seek' was used as a starting point in creating this casual wear garment. The complex curves of the flare design lines are incorporated into the waistline of this baby-doll style dress. The luscious velvet neatly expresses the concealed flare, which has a circumference of over 3m. The garment has been enhanced by a crafted embossed pattern design which was carved into lino, a mould was made from heat sensitive silicone which was pressed into the velvet to form the licorice allsorts pattern.

Although this gave a nice end result it produced a number of issues, such as sewing the tight curves and the finishing technique of ironing (as it couldn't be ironed).

But in the end Kerrie helped me produce a wonderful garment which I went on to win the state  finals.

Tess then went on to become the AATFA National Young Designer of the Year with her winning combination of her amazing 'Art to Wear' garment and her 'Casual Wear'.
This is a wonderful  achievement, especially as Tess is only in Year 10 at high school.

The inspiration and pattern drafting instructions can be found in Tomoko Nakamichi's book 'Pattern Magic' Volume 1 and below are a few photos of the process.

Front Skirt Pattern Draft Instructions

Pattern drafting directions were given for one size only so if you are not that size you need to be able to grade the pattern to fit.There were a few little fit issues, which make me wonder if the pattern had only been tested on a half scale dummy. The bust dart positions had to be altered as they were too high and the neckline needed to be reshaped. The hemline also needed to be levelled as the CF skirt was dipping.

Front Skirt Pattern

Front Bodice Pattern

The toile.

The book didn't include any construction informaton so it is really left to you to interpret how the garment is to go together. We decided to construct the bodice with an overlay that was then finished with a satin bias binding trim. The skirt needed to be interlined with a stiff shapewell to give it the body to stand out, as per the photo in the book, it then needed to be fully lined. The interlining was necessary as the velvet used was heavy but I do think that most fabrics would need to be interlined to achieve the desired trapeze silhouette.
However, I really like the Pattern Magic books as they are full of creative designs that do challenge you and make for an interesting project. Locally the books can be found at Tessuti Fabrics.

Japanese Pattern Books

Jane, who comes along to one of my morning classes has been making garments from a few of the Japanese pattern books that are available online at Tessuti Fabrics. For the price of a book you get loads of patterns in a lovely book which is filled with nicely styled photos of the garments, written instructions and good diagrams of the construction steps.

You also need to make sure that the book you buy is in English and not Japanese, unless you are able to just follow the illustrations and don't need written instructions to complete your garments.

Jane, recently made this cute little pinnafore for her daughter using a pattern from the 'Girly Style Wardrobe Book' in a Red Riding Hood print fabric from Calico and Ivy at Balmain.

A nice detail is the contrasting fabric which was used on the shoulder tie facing and the pockets which are also trimmed with red ric rac braid.

.

Party Anyone?

Just a little bit of froth in time for the party and festive season, a strapless bodice and tulle skirt with a bustle, roses and free motion embroidered trim.

I used Vogue pattern 5006 for the strapless, boned bodice which has rouleau loops and lacing at the back. The skirt is my pattern available to use in class.

The skirt is trimmed with satin circles that have been fused to the tulle and then decorated with a variegated thread using free motion embroidery.

A tulle bustle and five, soft fabric roses at the back.

Two of the roses are also trimmed with free motion embroidery.

A little look .......

at a few of the things that have been made in the studio recently.

A cute little tutu for a cute little daughter.

A little black dress for a school assignment - well done Morgan!

A gorgeous skirt for a teenage daughter - great work on your second sewing project Carolyn!

A very clever mum with a fun shirt for a young son to wear on Xmas day.

Bias cut cowl neck top in chiffon - not an easy task Sue, you have come a long way!

Sweet pinnafore with pretty yo yo flowers - you are so clever Jane!

 Transeasonal top and jacket in my favourite fabric - Orbit a viscose/spandex knit only available at Tessuti.

Good Luck Jess!

After two years of sewing at the Studio we were very sorry to say goodbye to the very talented and lovely Jess when she left this term to begin her HSC exams. Term Three was a hectic time as Jess worked hard completing her major work for Textile and Design, so it was nice when her work was handed in and she could just sew for the love of it.

Jess loves fashion and in this photo she is wearing a skirt she made in class a few weeks before the HSC started. We drafted a half circle skirt pattern and two lessons later she had completed the skirt - fabric from Lincraft, belt also made by Jess.

 

The design inspiration came from a Kirrily Johnston skirt that she loved but couldn't afford, the skirt was featured in an article in the Sunday Telegraph last week.

 

Good luck with your HSC results Jess and best wishes for the future, the afternoon girls and I will certainly miss you!!!

Surfing, Santa and Xmas Day

If you have a daughter, there is nothing more satisfying than making her something to wear on Xmas Day, pretty dresses in white with red and green trim or maybe a white dress with gold or silver trim. But what about the boys?

I made up this shirt to use as a sample for turnover collars, I couldn't resist the fabric from Craft Depot Pennant Hills.

Cute, don't you think. It just says Xmas Day in Australia, it's the beach, or the pool and kids running around in their swimmers playing with the presents that were left under the tree, usually one of them being the biggest water pistol Santa could fit in his sack.

So far it has been a hit with the girls in the studio and there will be a few little boys running around wearing surfing Santa shirts on 25th December.

Pattern Simplicity 3852